As the Seventh Month Dies
by boredanddelirious
Summary: July 31st, 1980. While James is out doing work for the Order, Sirius looks after a very pregnant Lily. "All right, off you go! Or the baby will probably pop out right now just to spite you!" But none of them wanted this baby to be born until tomorrow. R


Discalimer: I own nothing. I claim nothing. I have no money to speak of and this story isn't going to produce any so don't sue me. Jo Rowling is the coolest kid on the block. 

- - -

_July 31st, 1980   
6:43 pm   
Godrics Hollow, Potter residence._

"She can't be that bad, Prongs." said Sirius Black skeptically as he watched James rummage through his clothes in search of socks. 

"I'm telling you, Lily's very easily upset these days." Lowering his voice just in case his wife would overhear, James Potter turned to face his friend. "She's nine months pregnant, so not only is it the hormones, but as it's been growing closer and closer to the date, she's been worrying even more about the Prophecy." 

Sirius sighed heavily. What Dumbledore had told them a few weeks ago had greatly disturbed the Potters and their closest friends. "Well, there's still the fact that it's only us and Dumbledore that knows about it, right?" Sirius looked at his friend who was now putting on his socks and shoes. He hated seeing his friend so worried and upset. It didn't help that he had to go do work for the Order tonight, while his wife looked like she could give birth at any moment. 

"Yeah, I know." said James, though he did not sound at all convinced of what he was saying. 

"It'll be alright. Anyways, it may not even be true, either. And even if it is, I think any child of your's will have enough people to love and protect him or her that some stupid Prophecy isn't going to do much damage. Besides, spending the whole night worrying about it isn't going to do you any good, is it?" 

Getting up James turned to his friend. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks." Sirius patted him on the back as they walked out of the room. 

_6:48pm_

"Oh are you going now?" Lily stood in the doorway of the Potters' sitting room, where she had been reading. 

"Yeah, I'm supposed to meet up with the Prewetts at seven o'clock." James was pulling on his cloak. 

"Well, alright then." said Lily who walked up to her husband and pulled him into a tight hug. "Be careful and don't do anything stupid." 

"Mmmhmm. I won't." This was his automatic response, as Lily said that about twice a week. He kissed her on top of her head, and then bent down to listen to her stomach. "And you stay in there until I get back." he said to the baby inside of her. 

As Sirius watched the scene, part of him felt very mushy and slightly saddened inside. "All right, off you go! Or the baby will probably pop out right now just to spite you!" They all laughed a little, as they welcomed the lighter note. 

But none of them wanted this baby to be born until tomorrow. 

_6:51pm_

Lily's green eyes were on the door through which her husband had just left. She looked disconsolate. 

"Well!" Said Sirius, clappping his hands together once. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked as he headed down the hall to the kitchen. Lily followed. 

"I thought you were joking when you said you were going to cook me dinner!" 

"Why would I be joking? I'm no house-elf, but I can make a meal of some sort when I need to. So, what'll it be?" he asked. 

"Mmm...I could really go for some chicken noodle soup." said Lily, relishing the thought of this random meal. She often couldn't explain where her cravings came from these days. 

Sirius's face fell when she said this, though. "Oh. I'm not quite sure how to make that one, but I'll give it a whirl." He turned to the cupboard and starting pulling out a few pots and ingrediants. 

In about an hour's time, he still didn't have the meal prepared. He always had been a lousy cook. But Lily found watching him attempt to make the meal very amusing. 

She chuckled as he added the wrong kind of spice which caused the "soup" (if it could be called that) to make a funny popping noise and then turn purple. 

Lily chuckled. "Sirius, it's okay. Give it a rest." Picking up a panphlet from the kitchen table, Lily said "Why don't we order some food from this Muggle place? We're always getting junk mail from them...but some of these deals are really good." 

"Oh come on!" Said Sirius. "You'd really prefer Wei Hai's spring rolls over my home-made purple soup?" with an ironic smile on his face. 

"They have spring rolls?!" Lily gasped excitedly and turned the panphlet over to examine the side that Sirius had seen the spring rolls on. 

Sirius laughed. "I guess it's spring rolls then." He went off into the next room to use the phone to order their meals. 

Godric's Hollow, a small muggle village, exactly half-way between London and Hogsmeade, was where Lily and James Potter now called home. It had originally belong to relatives of James' and was ocasionally used as a cottage, but the happy couple had turned it into their first home when they married. Lily had insisted they keep a telephone in the house "just in case we need it" as she had said. Being muggle-born, she didn't feel quite right without having one around, however useful owls could be. The only other obviously muggle device in the house was the record player. It was the one she'd had since she was a kid. The one she'd played her very first Beatles album on. The one she'd turn up the volume on so loud that it would drive her sister, Petunia, nuts. She packed it in her trunk with her when she left for the beginning of her sixth year at Hogwarts. She and her best friend Tibby managed to find a way to make it work magically (there being no electrical outlets in the Girls Dorm or Gryffindor Common Room). She still would occasionally turn it up very loudly and sing along to it very badly, and dance around the sitting room, and enjoy herself immensely. Now that she was married...she usually found the time to do that when James was out. He liked the music alright, but nobody except Tibby really seemed to get what it was all about. Although her husband found their enthusiasm for it all very amusing, it was just one of those things that the boys didn't get. 

Lily decided she'd bring the record player into the kitchen while they waited. She was in the midst of heaving her--now rather large--self off the chair when Sirius came strolling back into the kitchen. 

"Hey, hey. Sit down." he said helping her into the chair again. "Tonight I've been assigned the task of waiting on you hand and foot, so what is it you're after, my dear?" said with a slight, comical bow towards his friend. 

"Haha. Alright, then. I was _after_ my record player. I feel like listening to some music." 

Sirius groaned. "Oh, not those bloody records again..." Upon hearing this Lily's face suddenly took on a hurt, indignant look, which Sirius knew from experience of her pregnancy mood swings could quickly lead to tears; so he backtracked. He hitched a smile on his face. "Only joking! I'll go get it. Back in a sec." 

"The spring rolls are on their way!" said Sirius minutes later, carrying the record player into the kitchen and setting it on the counter. 

"Excellent. I'm starving." 

"Oh, you're always starving." 

"Well I _am_ eating for two, you know! You get pregnant and see how your appetite changes, Mr. Black." 

"You know, I had quite a scare last week." Sirius said, with a tone of sudden seriousness. "I swear I had most of the symptoms of pregnancy, but as it turned out, it was just gas." He laughed at his own joke as he pulled one of the records out of its sleeve. 

"Oh that's just really lovely, hearing about your disgusting bodily functions. I'm so glad we can share this kind of stuff!" Lily's sarcastic voice broke into laughter at their childish banter. "What album did you get?" she asked. 

"Uh...'Help!' apparently." replied Sirius. 

"Oh good. That's one of my favourites." 

Sirius rolled his eyes. They were _all_ her favourites. He tapped the stereo with his wand and the music began. Not a moment later there was a knocking at the door -- the coveted spring rolls had arrived! 

_9:04pm_

Lily hummed the last few verses of "It's Only Love" as she reached for the last spring roll. Sirius had been about to take it for himself, but decided he didn't want to fight over it. 

She glanced at the clock. She knew it was too early for James to be home. It was only nine. Whenever either of them had to do something for the Order it usually took more than a couple of hours. Although, Lily hadn't done anything for the Order lately. But, she still hoped that he would be back sooner rather than later. She sighed. 

"Bug up your bottom?" Sirius inquired. 

Lily laughed. "You know, I'm quite sick of that expression. And it's only you who ever says it. I'm starting to suspect that you made it up and have been hoping in vain that it will catch on." 

Sirius rolled his eyes. He had made it up. When he was about thirteen years old. He and the other boys had found it a funny way of saying 'Something on your mind?'. But Lily was right. It never really had caught on, now that he thought of it. 

"Well, _something's_ bothering you. You're neglecting your last spring roll." 

Lily shoved her plate with the half-eaten spring roll on it towards Sirius, who gladly took it. "If it's James you're worried about, your fears are unfounded...it's only a routine patrol they're on." 

Lily sighed again, almost irritably, this time. "I know. I just...I guess I've just been feeling useless and restless in my stage of "advanced pregnancy". I mean, normally I'd be going with him." Sirius opened his mouth to respond but the red-head cut him off. "I know, I _know_ it's for my safety and the baby's, and that I may not even be that much help considering my hampered mobility at the moment...bah. I just wish he didn't have to be out _tonight_." Folding her arms she stared uncharacteristically moodily at the table. "And I _know_ it's not his fault...I'm just..." 

"Very stressed out, Lily." Sirius said. "These ... circumstances ... are nobody's fault. Look, you've got -" Sirius checked his watch. "Less than three hours left in the day. After that, you'll be in the clear and can stop worrying." 

Lily put her head in her hands. "I know ... but these last three hours are going to drive me insane, Sirius! I can't stand the thought that my baby will be born into the world with such a ... such a _fate_ resting on him!" 

Sirius's brows furrowed, slightly distracted. "Him? What makes you so sure it's going to be a boy? I thought you and James said you wanted to be surprised ...?" 

"It's just a feeling I've got." she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But it's just not fair to him! Or to me, for that matter. I mean, right now I can protect him...but once he's born...he could be in so much danger. I keep picturing Voldemort or Death Eaters storming into St. Mungo's as soon as he's born and them trying to take the baby away! I know I'm letting my imagination run away with me...but it's a fear that has a hell of a lot of ground to it. And I just can't stand the thought of it." 

"First of all, I would never put too much trust in a Prophecy. Dumbledore merely wants to take the precaution of taking it seriously. Second, it's not like Voldemort even _knows_ about it yet. Third, Lily, you know no one would _ever_ let something like that happen. And four, it may not even be _your_ baby that the Prophecy applies to. Less than three hours left in the day, Lily." 

"Birth can still happen in that amount of time." 

"Are you having any contractions or birthing pains right now?" 

"No." said Lily, sounding slightly like a pouting child. 

"Well then it's not going to happen within the next little while, so you can stop worrying for the moment." 

_11:03pm_

"Hmm ... Knight to ... 3-B." Sirius said, staring at the wizard's chess board. Lily had refused to go to bed until either James came home, or it was officially August first. So they decided to while away the time by playing a few games. 

"Pawn to F-6." Lily moved the chess piece. "You know what bugs me the most about it all?" 

"What?" said Sirius, still staring at the board. 

"The fact that if it's not James and my baby the Prophecy applies to, it's someone else's. And it's even worse that it's Alice and Frank's." The Potters had recieved an owl from the Longbottoms that morning saying that a healthy, baby boy named Neville had arrived into the world. 

"I know." he said heavily. "Call me selfish, but in all honesty I hope it's the Longbottoms' and not Prongs Junior. Bishop to 7-E." 

"Well, I can't call you selfish because as much as I care about them all I'm hoping for the same thing. But I still feel horrible about it." She chuckled. "And please _don't_ call him 'Prongs Junior'. It will set a bad example." 

"What? How are unusual nicknames setting a bad example?" 

"It's not the nickname, it's the fact that the nickname refers to James being an illegal animagi. Not to mention the rest of you." 

"Are you serious?" 

"Nope, you're Sirius. But I'm serious about that." 

"Does this mean that once the baby is born we're going to have to refrain from using those names? No more Moony, Wortmail, Padfoot and Prongs?!" exclaimed Sirius, ignoring the old Sirius/serious joke. 

"Well...just not in front of the baby, I think. What if when he grows up he gets the idea that he should become one too? I don't want that and neither does James." She paused for a moment in thought, "Although I suppose it wouldn't do any harm in telling him about Remus, of couse. But then, that's up to Remus, after all." 

"And James has agreed to give up the nicknames? Breaking old habits like that is going to be hard. You can't teach an old dog new tricks." he said, with a slight smile on his face. 

"Well ... no I haven't talked that part over with him yet. But as for old dogs, they'll just have to learn to cope, won't they? Especially if a certain old dog is going to be Godfather." 

"Hmm ... point taken." Sirius looked at the chess board again. "Aren't you going to move? It's your turn." 

"Uh ... actually. I forfeit." 

"What? But we only just started! At least give it a little longer." 

"No, I don't think I will." 

"Why on Earth not?" 

"Because my water just broke." Lily said as she stood up, shock mingling with a smile on her face. 

The remainder of the last sping roll fell from Sirius's hand to the plate. 

_August 1st, 1980   
12:34am   
St. Mungo's Hospital; Maternity Ward_

"Can you believe you're a Godfather now?" said a young woman in a green Healer's coat sitting next to her exhausted cousin, Sirius. Tibby had just finished working the late shift in the Dai Llewellyn Ward when Lily and Sirius had rushed in to the hospital, shortly followed by the expectant father. 

"No. That hasn't even begun to sink in yet. I'm still wrapping my head around the idea that my best friends have a baby, let alone the fact that I'm his Godfather." Sirius was smiling, and for once in his life, his hair and general appearance seemed tired and messy. 

They were sitting in chairs in the hallway outside the room where the new family was. Sirius had contacted James as soon as they had left for St. Mungo's. Fortunately the Prewett brothers were able to cover for him so he could follow to the hospital. 

It was odd, when Sirius thought about it. He had been so used to the fact that Lily was pregnant, that it had come as a complete shock that she was actually _having_ the baby. But his worries and shock were nothing compared to that of James. 

When Sirius had contacted him via the set of mirrors they used when they were at Hogwarts, James lost all the colour in his face. When he arrived at St. Mungo's he could barely articulate anything. It was slightly disturbing for Sirius to see his usually calm friend, look like a nervous wreck. But after the baby had been born, it seemed as though a nervous weight had been lifted off of all of them. 

When Tibby and Sirius were allowed to go in to see Lily and the baby, James had had tears streaming down his face and Lily, though quite tired, couldn't stop smiling. It was the second time Tibby could remember James crying. Though both times they were tears of relief and joy; the other occasion had been winning the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup after a particularly difficult season. 

"May I introduce Harry James Potter." Lily had said as James held the baby boy in his arms, not really wanting to let anyone else hold him. 

As he was sitting here in the hallway now, thinking over the joyful event of the night, a dreadful thought popped into his mind. Despite their discussion of it earlier that evening, the Prophecy hadn't entered his mind again, or either of the proud parents, until now. His tired mind struggled to remember what time it had been when they left and how long it had been from that time to when Harry had been born. 

"Did you hear what time the birth was at?" Sirius asked, his voice in a forced, nonchalent tone. 

A slight frown formed on Tibby's face. "Yeah, the nurse told me. 11:59pm." A grim smile forming. "How's that for bad timing?" 

Sirius let out a long, silent sigh and then rubbed his eyes. He had had a feeling it would be their baby. He didn't want it to be, but for some reason, in the back of his mind he knew it would be Harry. Glancing back at the door to Lily's hospital room he said "Well. It wouldn't hurt to keep that fact to ourselves, just for the day, would it?" 

"No, it woudn't hurt. You're right. They're so happy right now. I wouldn't want to spoil it yet." 

"No, no. Not yet." Wrapping his head around the fact that he was a Godfather now paled into comparison to the possibility that his Godson, the small infant boy with messy black hair and big green eyes, the son of people so dear to him, might be the only one who could defeat the most evil wizard of the time, was a lot worse in terms of head-wrapping. 

THE END

- - -

Some Author's Notes:   
Some of you might be wondering why oh why I've written this fic when I'm supposed to be working on Harvest Moon! I've had some trouble sorting that story out, and I think I'm going to have to re-do the last chapter I posted. But this little story has been running around in my head for a while so I thought I'd write it down. Yes, again, I've inserted my own made-up character into a fic. Tibby is my eyes and ears inside each story. I don't like reading Mary-Sue fics so I won't bother writing one. So she'll be watching and participating in the background, with the characters you already know and love in the forefront 

bother!   
I _know_ there was no mention of a Maternity Ward at St. Mungo's in OotP, but I just can't see anyone having a baby at a place other than a hospital. Yes, my imagination is that limited. 


End file.
